A Story About a Wondrous Advice for Guarding One's Thoughts Abroad and 4 More Stories

A special story about two students of Rabbi Berland shlit"a who were staying abroad, and shared with a local Chassid an advice for guarding one's thoughts that worked in a wondrous and immediate way.

Story About a Wondrous Advice for Guarding One's Thoughts Abroad

A few months ago, two students of our teacher, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, were staying abroad. As is known to anyone who leaves the Land of Israel, the spiritual tests there are terrible and daunting, especially regarding the impurity of foreign lands. The atmosphere in the streets and the various sights make it very difficult to guard one's eyes and maintain the holiness of one's thoughts.

The Wondrous Advice of the Tzaddik

During their stay there, the students met one of the local Breslov Chassidim. While conversing about spiritual difficulties, one of the students of the Rav shlit"a shared with this Chassid a special piece of advice they had received from the tzaddik. It was a wonderful segulah (spiritual remedy) and practical guidance for preserving the holiness of thought, even in the most challenging places. The Chassid heard the advice and decided to implement it immediately.

Working in a Wondrous Way

Only a few hours passed, and that Chassid returned to the Rav's students, amazed and moved. He approached them and said with immense awe: "What can I tell you? This advice works wondrously! It is something tested and proven."

This short story illustrates how the advice of the tzaddik crosses continents and oceans. It has the power to illuminate the path and protect the holiness of every Jew, even when facing the most difficult tests far away from the Holy Land.

A Story of a Rare Testimony: The Holiness of Our Generation

Our generation has merited great lights and true tzaddikim who illuminate the path for the multitudes of the House of Israel. These tzaddikim see far into the distance and recognize the soul-roots of their peers in the leadership of the generation. On rare occasions, we merit to hear a special and rare testimony from one tzaddik about another, a testimony that reveals to us a glimpse of their immense spiritual greatness.

Testimony from One of the Greats of the Generation

It is widely known among many that one of the greatest, most important, and famous Rebbes of our generation shlit"a expressed himself in a rare and awe-inspiring way regarding our teacher, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a. These words of the Rebbe grew wings and aroused great excitement among many Chassidim and students. On that occasion, he sought to convey a clear and unequivocal message about the inner essence of the Rav.

That great Rebbe said in a few but powerful words about our teacher, the Rav shlit"a: "Rabbi Eliezer is the holiness of our generation." He did not settle for a standard description of righteousness or asceticism, but rather defined the Rav as the very essence of holiness itself. This sentence, coming from the mouth of a great and holy man, testifies more than anything to the immense spiritual levels and the awesome holiness in which the Rav dwells.

This statement was engraved in the hearts of those who heard it, and it continues to resonate and strengthen everyone who merits to draw near to the light of our teacher, the Rav shlit"a. With deep understanding, we grasp that we are privileged to live in a generation where such supreme and tangible holiness resides. Fortunate are we to have merited to take shelter in the shadow of such a tzaddik and to draw Torah and fear of Heaven from him.

A Story About Guarding the Eyes: The Cashier Who Appeared Out of Nowhere in the Merit of the Rav

A dear avreich (Torah scholar) from among the students of our teacher, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, told of a wondrous Divine Providence he experienced, which illustrates the power of connection to the tzaddik.

One day, this avreich needed to enter a certain store to make some urgent purchases. When he reached the checkout area, he encountered a spiritual difficulty. At that time, only female cashiers were working in the store, and there was not a single male seller in sight. The avreich, who is very meticulous about his holiness, did not want under any circumstances to pass through a woman's checkout lane, in order to guard his eyes in holiness and purity.

A Request from the Depths of the Heart

In his distress, the avreich turned to the Creator of the World in a silent plea. He begged and said: "Master of the Universe, help me in the merit of the tzaddik, Rabbi Eliezer ben Etia, that I should not defile my eyes, Heaven forbid!"

The salvation was not late in coming. Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, one of the male employees of the store arrived. The employee turned to the staff and asked indignantly: "Why didn't you call me to help sell? There is a long line here!" The interesting thing is that at that moment there was no long line in the store at all; there were only four people standing there.

A Special Messenger from Heaven

The employee immediately sat down at one of the registers, and specifically received that avreich. He scanned his items and sold him everything he needed quickly and efficiently.

The great wonder occurred immediately afterward. The moment the avreich finished his purchase and paid, that employee got up from his seat, left the register, and walked away. He simply did not want to continue selling to the rest of the people standing in line. It was clear to all that this employee was sent from Heaven at that exact moment, solely to assist the avreich who sought to guard his holiness in the merit of the tzaddik.

A Story: The Long Line to Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky and the Salvation in the Merit of the Tzaddik

A certain Jew told of a wondrous Divine Providence he experienced, which illustrates the immense power of the tzaddik. This man very much wanted to enter the inner sanctum, to be blessed by the holy Gaon, Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky zt"l.

## A Long and Despairing Line
When that Jew arrived at the location, he discovered to his amazement a very long line of many people waiting outside the door. The wait seemed long and despairing, and it appeared that it would take a long time before he would merit to enter.

Instead of despairing, he decided to turn to Hashem, blessed be He, and ask for a personal salvation. He stood in his place and asked Hashem that he should merit to enter quickly, and this in the merit of the tzaddik, Rabbi Eliezer ben Etia shlit"a. He focused with all his heart and believed with complete emunah (faith) in the power of this merit to bring about salvations.

## A Wondrous Call from the Gabbai
And suddenly, in a wondrous and inexplicable way, the door to the room opened. The gabbai (attendant) stepped outside to the large crowd, called out specifically the name of that Jew from among the masses, and brought him immediately in to the holy Gaon, Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky zt"l.

This short and moving story illustrates how mentioning the name of the tzaddik works above the laws of nature. The merit of the tzaddik opens all doors, even when the natural reality seems completely hopeless.

An Amazing Story: Why Did Rabbi Berland Pull the Ears of the Respected Man?

A certain Jew shared a wondrous and fascinating story, which he heard directly from one of the dedicated gabbaim (attendants) of our teacher, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a. The incident illustrates just how much the vision of the tzaddik penetrates the kidneys and the heart (the innermost depths of a person), and how his actions, which sometimes seem perplexing, conceal within them a great salvation.

A Surprising Visit and Awe-Inspiring Respect

One day, a highly respected and influential man arrived at the residence of our teacher, the Rav shlit"a. This man arrived accompanied by an entourage of bodyguards, and it was evident that those around him treated him with great respect, and even awe and fear.

When this man entered the room of the tzaddik, something completely unexpected occurred. The Rav shlit"a approached him, grabbed him by both of his ears, and pulled them downward. To the amazement of all present, instead of reacting with anger or astonishment, this respected man bowed his head in deep reverence before the Rav shlit"a, truly "like a servant before his master."

The Secret of the Pains That Disappeared

After he left the Rav's room, the people who had witnessed the wondrous sight approached him. They asked him in astonishment: "What happened here? How does a respected man of your status submit himself in such a way without saying a word?".

The man's answer left everyone speechless. He told them that for several years he had been suffering from severe and chronic pain in his ears, pain for which he could find no cure. "And suddenly, immediately after the Rav shlit"a pulled my ears, the pains simply disappeared completely, Baruch Hashem (Thank God)!" he declared with emotion.

This story illustrates once again the immense power of the tzaddik, who, with Ruach HaKodesh (Divine Inspiration), knew exactly where the source of that man's suffering lay, and granted him a complete healing in a single moment of wonder.

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From Issue 79 — Parashat Ki Tisa
From the series "A Tzaddik Rules in the Fear of God" — "Shapir Amar Nachmani" Publications